Artists

Nick Dong: Transforming Stillness into Spiritual Architecture

Irina Runkel
10 Min Read


Contents
Auspicious 88 – Dharma Wheel of Ego & Egolessness2024Mirror, acrylic mirror, aluminum structure, LEDs, kinetic and audio components with micro computer.14’ × 14’ × 10’HRecalibrating the Senses: The Cross-Cultural Compass Behind Nick Dong’s VisionSelf Portrait at 50202450 strands of artist’s gray hair, stainless steel, gold, wood, epoxy, magnets15.5”× 15.5” × 10”Nick Dong: From Inner Spark to Immersive Awe The moment Nick Dong truly committed to being an artist came during his freshman year at Tunghai University, when the renowned artist Hsun Chiang posed a piercing question: “Do you actually want to be an artist?” That challenge forced Dong to reconsider what it means to create with honesty. Encouraged since childhood by a perceptive elementary teacher, he had long nurtured artistic ambitions, but Chiang’s words added a new layer of intentionality. Dong began to understand that artistic expression required more than skill—it demanded authenticity and openness. This commitment to sincerity found a powerful outlet in his signature immersive installations. Dong’s work occupies a space where art converges with physics, spirituality, and emotional nuance. One of his most ambitious undertakings, Auspicious 88, exemplifies this. Initially conceived as a reinterpretation of the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism, the project has expanded into a five-year journey culminating in 88 distinct works. Each piece acts as an introspective portal, designed to slow time and offer a refuge from the chaos of modern life. Audiences often describe the experience as transcendental, drawn in by the meditative stillness his installations evoke. One particular installation that holds deep personal meaning is the Enlightenment Room, first shown in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s 40 Under 40: Craft Futures exhibition. Originally sparked by skepticism—can one “manufacture” enlightenment?—the work evolved into a sincere invitation for inner awakening. As light slowly intensifies around the viewer, the room simulates a crescendo of spiritual clarity. More than a turning point in his career, it marked a personal milestone: it was the first time Dong’s family fully embraced his path. That newfound support fortified his belief in creating work that not only experiments with form but also nurtures the inner lives of those who encounter it. Nick Dong: 11 to 88Jun 6 – Aug 25, 2024Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, USATransforming Material Into Meaning: The Architecture of Dong’s Studio Practice Dong’s process is anchored in his studios—spaces he personally designed in both Oakland and Taipei. These are not just work environments but creative laboratories where sculptural precision meets contemplative focus. Equipped with metalwork stations and areas for large-scale installation testing, the studios reflect his commitment to both form and function. Although he collaborates with a team of assistants, Dong remains deeply engaged in the hands-on creation of each piece, ensuring that every detail carries his signature intention. Managing distractions is part of Dong’s artistic practice itself. Treating the act of making as a meditative ritual, he begins each session by mentally detaching from external noise. The studio becomes a controlled space where material and concept merge in silence. His deliberate approach allows for full immersion, treating each sculpture or installation as a kind of spiritual architecture. Within this discipline, Dong is able to maintain the emotional clarity required for work that resonates on both individual and collective levels. This sensitivity to material extends to his choice of medium, which varies based on the message he intends to convey. Dong resists limiting himself to a single discipline, instead embracing a wide range of influences from fashion and jewelry to traditional fine art. A striking example is his recent Self Portrait at 50, composed of his own grey hair. Set into a sculptural frame of stainless steel, gold, wood, epoxy, and magnets, the piece transforms age and memory into tangible form. The hair doesn’t just symbolize time—it embodies it. By allowing the physical substance to carry the emotional content, Dong lets the medium speak as loudly as the concept. Auspicious 88 – Lotus of Impermanence2024Aluminum, acrylic mirror, fabric, kinetic and audio components with micro computer.30’ × 30’ × 14’HNick Dong: When Objects Heal and Symbols Bless Dong’s aesthetic is deeply informed by both ancient philosophies and modern design. He draws inspiration from Allan Wexler’s Coffee Seeks Its Own Level, a deceptively simple work that speaks volumes about social interdependence through physical balance. Equally formative are the refined porcelains of the Song Dynasty, whose subtle grace and craftsmanship embody a quiet wisdom. These sources taught him that meaningful art doesn’t shout—it whispers. He seeks to channel that energy in his own work, blending precision with poetry, old world elegance with contemporary innovation. StudioDong, Taipei (left); Oakland (right)Looking ahead, Dong envisions Auspicious 88 culminating in a grand performance that unites the entire body of work. He imagines sound, movement, and light merging into a collective, transformative experience—a ceremonial closure to a half-decade of spiritual inquiry. Rather than an exhibition in the traditional sense, the final act would function as a ritual, weaving together all 88 works into a single moment of shared reflection. This finale would not only honor the journey of creation but also offer communal space for transformation. Beyond large-scale installations, Dong has also conceived more intimate forms of engagement through the Mendsmith Project, which explores wearable, symbolic objects as tools for emotional restoration. In one variation, visitors receive a four-leaf clover—an emblem of luck that also serves as a conduit of his personal blessings. These objects are not merely souvenirs; they act as emotional tokens intended to extend the exhibition’s impact into daily life. Through this exchange, Dong seeks to transfer the support and love he has received to others, allowing art to move from a solitary encounter to a shared gesture of care. Auspicious 88 – Parasol of Luck & Prosperity2024Diamonds, 18K white gold, glass mirror, wood, brass, aluminum, LEDs, kinetic and audio components with micro computer.15” W x 15” D x 15” H

Auspicious 88 – Dharma Wheel of Ego & Egolessness
2024
Mirror, acrylic mirror, aluminum structure, LEDs, kinetic and audio components with micro computer.
14’ × 14’ × 10’H

Recalibrating the Senses: The Cross-Cultural Compass Behind Nick Dong’s Vision

Nick Dong, the Taiwanese-American artist behind studioDONG, crafts installations that quietly invite transformation. He began shaping his artistic identity through early formal training in Taiwan, continuing into university before relocating to the United States to pursue an MFA. This journey, bridging Eastern and Western philosophies, forged a creative lens rooted in hybrid perspectives. His work now centers on immersive, sensorial experiences that transcend aesthetics, often functioning as meditative environments where internal reflection takes precedence over external spectacle. Dong’s installations do not simply decorate space—they generate conditions for subtle shifts in perception.

His artistic philosophy crystallized through witnessing how audiences responded to his creations with an almost reverent stillness. This quiet engagement illuminated a deeper purpose: art as a spiritual practice. Instead of producing static objects, Dong engineers environments where introspection unfolds naturally. Material choices are not incidental; they serve as conduits for emotional and spiritual resonance. Through a meticulous balance of sensory elements, each installation becomes a quiet catalyst for healing, urging visitors to reconnect with parts of themselves often muted by everyday distractions.

Among the most formative moments in his career was his graduation project at Tunghai University, a fully immersive installation that laid the foundation for his conceptual language. It was during this period that Dong first discovered the power of environmental storytelling. Rather than focusing solely on technical prowess, he shifted toward vulnerability and emotional sincerity. That early pivot marked a decisive break from producing merely beautiful objects and set him on a path toward creating experiential spaces that function like sanctuaries—places where people might briefly glimpse their deeper selves.

Self Portrait at 50
2024
50 strands of artist’s gray hair, stainless steel, gold, wood, epoxy, magnets
15.5”× 15.5” × 10”
Nick Dong: From Inner Spark to Immersive Awe
Jun 6 – Aug 25, 2024
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA, USA
Transforming Material Into Meaning: The Architecture of Dong’s Studio Practice
2024
Aluminum, acrylic mirror, fabric, kinetic and audio components with micro computer.
30’ × 30’ × 14’H
Nick Dong: When Objects Heal and Symbols Bless
Auspicious 88 – Parasol of Luck & Prosperity
2024
Diamonds, 18K white gold, glass mirror, wood, brass, aluminum, LEDs, kinetic and audio components with micro computer.
15” W x 15” D x 15” H

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